I have tried in the past to get my 2 ferrets to eat raw meat like chicken wings and ground meats when I first got them (they were pretty young) so I heard it was easier to switch, but of course that failed! Its common to fail at your first attempt at offering raw. This doesnt mean your ferrets wont ever eat it, it just means that you need a new approach. We can help you find the right switching method that will work for your ferret and help you achieve switching success!
Then I was told (and read even from vets) that a raw diet could be harmful and was told to cook the food before feeding. I was so confussed on who or what was right I just put them on Innova Evo ferret food mixed with Drs Foster and Smith's Natural ferret diet, which now they love. *Sigh* It really is sad, but MANY vets know very little about animal nutrition. and many know even less about PROPER animal nutrition (natural diets). I find it frightening that you vet told you to cook food prior to feeding. On a diet of JUST cooked fresh foods, your ferret would develop taurine deficiencies and additinoal issues. Cooking food degrades nutrients. Ferrets cousin (the wild european polecat) dont have little hibachis in their dens in the wild where they whip up raw meat! They are designed to eat raw foods without getting sick (it really is fascinating). Check this out, Read the first post:
forum.ferret.com/tm.asp?m=59579An improperly balanced natural diet CAN be worse then a kibble diet, BUT we can show you how to feed your ferret and provide them with what they need, and suprisingly, its not that difficult at all! You just need the basic info.
So I guess my questions are, who/what is healthy or "ok" to feed, and the long term (bad) effects of feeding kibble (even the top quality kibbles).Here ya go. The reason why kibble aint so great:
Why bother with a natural diet? There will be an entire section on the HF site called "Why bother with a natural diet". I will give you the basic summary (since I cant post this section in its entirety because its not yet copyrighted.
Here's the deal kibble is unnatural in its form. A ferret's natural food is soft, chewy, VERY high in moisture, and full of raw nutrients. Kibble is hard, crunchy, and has a lower moisture content then a hardwood floor!
Kibble can cause problems if it contains crappy ingredients (like corn, soy, etc) Avoiding these ingredients and purchasing a "higher quality" kibble is good, but even if you buy a kibble that contains no by-products, preservatives, corn, etc there are still problems. These problems stem from the very thing that makes kibble, kibble: its hard and crunchy texture, its low moisture content, and the binding ingredients needed to hold the kibble together.
These binding ingredients are ALWAYS carbs, and weather they are corn, wheat, or potato, they are still unnatural for a ferret to consume and can cause problems in the long run within a ferrets body.
Insulinoma, Peridontal disease, IBD, bladder stones, and lymphoma are all linked in some way to diet. An unnatural diet has a higher chance of contributing to these dieseases. I will BRIEFLY discuss insulinoma, peridontal disease, and IBD.
A VERY brief breakdown (will be FAAARRR more in depth with multiple citable sources when the HF website opens. Im just typing this info in summary form. If anyone wants to see my references for these statements feel free to PM me.)
Insulinoma: Kibble ALWAYS has a binding ingredient, without a binding ingredient the kibble pieces would fall apart. Unfourtunately a binding ingredient is always some form of carb. Higher quality kibbles contain lower carb binding ingredients, such as potato, but lower quality kibbles can contain ones like corn or even wheat. This binding ingredient MIGHT cause problems with insulinoma. I say might because at this time we are not 100% of the cause of insulinoma. I personally believe it is a mix between genetics and diet. A natural diet contains no binding ingredients, and as a result has a lower risk of contributing to insulinoma.
Peridontal Disease: This is a HORRENDOUS problem in all companion carnivores (just ask any vet). Peridontal disease is waaayyyy more then a cosmetic issue. It can lead to heart disease, compromised immune sytem, and even organ failure! This disease is not to be taken lightly (in people or in pets). Many people mistakenly believe that kibble cleans ferret teeth. It doesnt. The shape of kibble does nothing to 'scrape plauque' off of your ferret's teeth, if anything the abrasive surface of kibble actually DAMAGES ferret teeth. A natural diet that consists of whole prey OR raw meat/bone/organ can help to clean teeth naturally. The fur on prey animals helps to 'naturally brush' teeth and is NOT abrasive. Ripping through raw meat and sinew can help to clean teeth as well, there is also some people who think that the enzyemes in raw meat can assist with good oral health.
IBD and Digestive problems: A common problem in pets today (not just ferrets). Some belive that in sensitive ferrets the preservatives and extra ingredients in kibble can actually help contribute to or even cause IBD. Even if kibble doesn't cause or contribute to IBD one thing is true, the binding ingredients and extra ingredients in ferret kibble can often make IBD symptoms in ferrets worse. Many people have had great success managing their ferret's IBD after switching their ferrets to a raw or whole prey diet.
Also, as mentioned before kibble has a lower water content then a hardwood floor. Animals are designed to obtain MOST of their moisture from their food (not from drinking, although this is not to say they never drink water). According to the Ferret Rescue Society of Ottowa and Surrounding Areas:
"Kibble can be very hard on a ferret's body. It has 9 - 10% moisture content, which is less than a hard wood floor! Ferrets have a short bowel and a rapid transit time of 3 to 4 hours. When [fed] only dry kibble, they are forced to drink lots of water to facilitate digestion. When too much fluid is ingested with solid foods, the stomach acids are diluted, which hinders the breaking down of food."
One more thing how "bad" is furovite and furotone? I ceased feeding of all my commercial ferret treats after I learned about them, now the only commercial treat I feed them are N-bone chew (are these bad?), and I try to feed dehydrated and freeze dried pieces of meat but they wont have it. I avoid ferretone because it has soy bean oil in it. I avoid feeding my ferrets anything that comes from a plant. I dont understand why anyone would feed ferretone or olive oil. Ferrets are carnivores, IMO if you are set on offering an occasional oil, why not feed fish body oil or emu oil? In addition, ferretone contains BHT a potentially harmful preservative. PLUS it contains freakishly high amounts of vitamin A (which means if you give too much ferretone---and it doesnt take alot----you can OD your ferret on vitamin A. Cod liver oil is VERY high in vitamin A PLUS there is added vitamin A in the tone. No thanks I personally will pass on this treat.
To me ferrevite is too high in sugar. and as for N-bones, to me they are a "junk food" not necessarily because they contain "bad" ingredients that will hurt your ferret, but because they are "empty" nutritionally and because a raw chicken bone provides MUCH better nutrition and teeth cleaning power then an N-bone.
Freeze-dried meat treats are good, but your ferret might not take to them (right away) once a ferret gets a taste for these appropriate treats, they usually go bonkers for them!
I know there are many questions and they are pretty vague but I do appreciate any responses, I'm in a rut and I dont know who to listen to that knows best, especially when I cant get the facts straight either way!It really upsets me that its difficult for people to get the info they need on diet. Its easy to get confused and that is sad. I (and the Holistic Ferret Mentors) am here to help answer any questions you may have. Once you get the facts it isnt hard to tell that a natural diet really IS the best for your pet. I can even "de-bunk" many of the myths or worries about raw diet if you like. This is a good site to check out (it is geared towards dogs but can be applied towards ferrets:
rawfed.com/myths/Dont worry about asking vauge questions. The more you learn, the more specific your questions will become. Keep asking questions! Its the best way to learn! We can provide you with "recommended reading" on natural diets if you are interested, as well as other resources. Anything you need we are here to assist